Classic Home and Away Returns to UK Television From the Very First Episode – Here's How to Watch

Home and Away is heading back to where it all began, with the Australian soap's original episodes returning to UK television on Monday 16 November 2026, giving viewers the chance to revisit Summer Bay as it was nearly four decades ago.

The new 5Drama channel will begin showing the soap from its feature-length pilot episode, introducing Tom and Pippa Fletcher, their five foster children and the residents who helped establish one of Australia's longest-running television dramas.

For viewers who remember watching the early episodes on British television, it is an opportunity to revisit familiar characters and storylines. Newer audiences will also be able to discover how the programme began while continuing to follow the current episodes.

When Does Classic Home and Away Start in the UK?

Classic Home and Away begins on Monday 16 November at 12pm on 5Drama, starting with the original feature-length pilot.

The episode first aired in Australia on 17 January 1988 before making its UK television debut in February 1989.

Viewers will meet Tom and Pippa Fletcher, played by Roger Oakley and Vanessa Downing, as they arrive in Summer Bay with their five foster children.

Their arrival introduces the family relationships, friendships and rivalries that would become central to the programme, alongside familiar early characters including Alf Stewart, Sally Fletcher and Bobby Simpson.

Following the pilot, 5Drama will show two classic episodes every weekday between midday and 1pm. The episodes will also be repeated the following morning, with additional opportunities to catch up at weekends.

What Channel Is 5Drama and How Can You Watch?

5Drama launched on 21 October 2026, replacing 5Select as part of Channel 5's television offering.

The channel is available free-to-air through several major UK television platforms, including Freeview channel 33, Freesat channel 132 and Freely channel 26. Sky viewers can find it on channel 150, while Sky Stream and Sky Glass customers can watch on channel 165. Virgin Media carries the channel on 130.

UK viewers do not need a paid television subscription to watch 5Drama through Freeview, provided they have a compatible television and reception.

Those unable to watch during the daytime will also be able to catch up through 5's streaming service.

Will Classic Home and Away Be Available to Stream?

The return extends beyond traditional television, with the broadcaster planning to make the first 30 episodes available through 5 when the classic broadcasts begin.

A further ten episodes will be added each week, allowing viewers to follow the earliest Summer Bay stories at their own pace rather than relying on the lunchtime schedule. The arrangement also provides a convenient introduction for viewers who know the modern characters but have never seen how the soap began.

Which Original Home and Away Characters Will Return?

The earliest episodes centre on the Fletcher family, whose arrival in Summer Bay established many of the relationships and themes that would define the programme.

Tom and Pippa provide a home for five foster children, while Alf Stewart becomes one of the community's most recognisable residents. Ray Meagher, who has played Alf since the first episode, remains the only original cast member still appearing regularly in the programme.

He has welcomed the return of the classic episodes, giving long-standing viewers another opportunity to revisit the beginnings of Summer Bay. Emily Symons, who joined Home and Away in 1989 as Marilyn Chambers, has also expressed enthusiasm about the return of the early stories.

Although Marilyn does not appear in the original pilot, viewers following the classic episodes will eventually see her introduction and the beginning of a character who remains part of Summer Bay today.

Can You Still Watch New Home and Away Episodes in the UK?

The return of classic Home and Away will not affect the current series, which continues on 5STAR and the broadcaster's streaming service.

New episodes are available through 5 from 6am on weekdays, ahead of their 6.30pm television broadcast on 5STAR. The previous episode is repeated at 6pm.

The classic schedule therefore gives viewers two opportunities to enjoy the programme, whether they want to revisit the original Fletcher family stories from 1988 or keep up with the latest UK-paced developments.

With almost four decades of Summer Bay history to explore, the return of the original episodes provides a chance to see how the programme developed from its earliest days and rediscover the characters who helped make Home and Away a long-running favourite with British audiences.